Valley Writers Read - 2016 Broadcast Schedule

The 2016 season of Valley Writers Read features highlights from past broadcast years. Enjoy local authors reading original works of fiction and non-fiction every Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m.

January 6, 2016 James Benelli “Carrier Approach” The story is about Lieutenant Amy Adams, just about ready to complete her final aviator exam by landing her plane on the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. A mid-air collision complicates matters.

January 13, 2016 Barbara Link “Leaving” This is the story of Mary Agnes Lone Hill who lives with her grandmother on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana. The Bureau of Indian affairs relocates her to an Indian School in Nebraska where she is discouraged from embracing native culture.

January 20, 2016 Nelson Varon “Fixing Things” Jack wants to be a writer, but ever since childhood he’s victim to his overriding temper. He finally secures a book deal, but when the publisher bosses him around, he loses his cool and blows it-big time.

January 27, 2016 Marilyn Larson “Getting Out” and Deborah Hamilton “Section B, Page 3. Marilyn Larson’s story is about Marta, who’s been dating Ben. On the way to an important social event, Ben reveals that he’s married. Deborah Hamilton’s story is about a recluse whose only joy in life is reading the obituary column.

February 3, 2016 Howell Hurst “I Can’t Hear the Drums Anymore,” “Beating Towards Monterey,” and “The Fog”. Three short stories by Howell Hurst. The first about a son’s blocked love for his mother; then a tale about a man’s failed love for his wife, and the third story is about a couple, both of whom had been football players in college.

February 10th,2016 Janet Nichols Lynch “The Favorite”. The story of an extended family whose “favorite” Ronnie, abandons his family after receiving an inheritance.

February 17th, 2016 Howard Hendrix “A Bridge Across the Lethe”. The main character in this science fiction story suffers a brain concussion at an early age and loses the ability to function. The miracles of modern medicine help him return to normal.

February 24th 2016 Charlotte Abrams “The Watcher” After Maddie lost Harry, her 90 year old neighbor Bernard, volunteers to do the yard work. A relationship develops, but Bernard is upset when Maddie is asked out on a date.

March 2nd, 2016 Michael Bowler “Dump Truck” Hal Bolen reads Michael Bowlers story about an attorney who leaves the rat race and realizes his dream of becoming a public defender.

March 9, 2016 Joan Newcomb “ Bad Things Do Happen to Good People”. “A Journey of Courage”. Joan Newcomb reads two stories about Lida Mae. She lives in a tough neighborhood and when her mother is mugged, Lida Mae’s friend Rufus fights with the thugs, is injured and loses his eye-sight.

March 16, 2016 Gene Zumwalt “Beyond the Roses” In 1970, at the height of the Vietnam War, Fresno State was involved in much controversy about that conflict and other social issues. Gene shares his memory of the University administration closure of the English Department.

March 23, 2016 Evelyne Holingue “I Am An American”. Evelyne describes how she came to the United States from France and the cultural differences she encountered while learning to be an American.

April 6, 2016 Lee K. Self “Mornings on the Mekong” and Natalie Chavez-Ruiz “Home After Iraq”. Lee K. Self recounts life on a small naval vessel on the Mekong River during the Vietnam War, and Natalie Chavez-Ruiz describes dealing with her husband’s post -traumatic stress syndrome on his return from Iraq.

April 13, 2016 David Mas Masumoto “TBD”

April 20, 2016 Franz Weinschenk “The Dean’s Dinghy” Franz Weinschenk describes a tough day in the Dean’s office. A big storm causes a leak in a teacher’s office and then the power goes out, stranding students in an elevator.

April 27, 2016 James Varner “Uncle Dudly” James Varner, the nephew of Bakersfield’s Claude Varner, the ex-Featherweight Boxing Champion of the world recalls his uncles career and induction into the Bob Elias Hall of Fame.

May 4th, 2016 Hope Nisly “Cousins” Hope Nisly recalls her childhood, growing up with six cousins in a small Iowa town. She remembers the assassination of President Kennedy and the night on the couch following the shooting of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

May 11th, 2016 Oscar G. Williams “Harassment”. Office manager Paul has a scheme to defraud the company by having his secretary file a harassment claim. Together, they plan to take the money and run away to Europe. His wife has other ideas.

May 18th, 2016 Margaret Garret Irwin “Margaret’s War – Lots of Moving and Air Raids”. Recollections of a young girl growing up in London during WW II. Margaret recalls air raids, the incendiary bomb and the V2 rockets.

May 28th, 2016 Jerry Fisher “Auf Wiedersehen, My Love” The story of a fictional WW II pilot who bails out over Germany. He befriends a German woman and then is interned in a POW camp.

June 1st, 2016 Flora Beach Burlingame “A Teacher of the Freedmen” A biography of the author’s grandfather, John Stevenson, who volunteered to educate freed slaves after the Civil War.

June 8th, 2016 Ed Miller “Lost Roads Going Nowhere” The story of Slater, whose life is a downward spiral- affairs, divorce, addiction, prison and more.

June 15th,2016 Dennis Shay “The Frozen Russian” and Don Moody and Linda Moody “Cougar”. A Russian cosmonaut has been drifting in space for centuries and is discovered by astronauts of future. “Cougar” is the story of a young cowboy’s encounter with a hungry mountain lion.

July 6, 2016 James Benelli “Carrier Approach” The story is about Lieutenant Amy Adams, just about ready to complete her final aviator exam by landing her plane on the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. A mid-air collision complicates matters.

July 13, 2016 Barbara Link “Leaving” This is the story of Mary Agnes Lone Hill who lives with her grandmother on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana. The Bureau of Indian affairs relocates her to an Indian School in Nebraska where she is discouraged from embracing native culture.

July 20, 2016 Nelson Varon “Fixing Things” Jack wants to be a writer, but ever since childhood he’s victim to his overriding temper. He finally secures a book deal, but when the publisher bosses him around, he loses his cool and blows it-big time.

July 27, 2016 Marilyn Larson “Getting Out” and Deborah Hamilton “Section B, Page 3. Marilyn Larson’s story is about Marta, who’s been dating Ben. On the way to an important social event, Ben reveals that he’s married. Deborah Hamilton’s story is about a recluse whose only joy in life is reading the obituary column.

Aug 3, 2016 Howell Hurst “I Can’t Hear the Drums Anymore,” “Beating Towards Monterey,” and “The Fog”. Three short stories by Howell Hurst. The first about a son’s blocked love for his mother; then a tale about a man’s failed love for his wife, and the third story is about a couple, both of whom had been football players in college.

Aug 10th,2016 Janet Nichols Lynch “The Favorite”. The story of an extended family whose “favorite” Ronnie, abandons his family after receiving an inheritance.

Aug 17th, 2016 Howard Hendrix “A Bridge Across the Lethe”. The main character in this science fiction story suffers a brain concussion at an early age and loses the ability to function. The miracles of modern medicine help him return to normal.

Aug 24th 2016 Charlotte Abrams “The Watcher” After Maddie lost Harry, her 90 year old neighbor Bernard, volunteers to do the yard work. A relationship develops, but Bernard is upset when Maddie is asked out on a date.

Aug 31, 2016 Michael Bowler “Dump Truck” Hal Bolen reads Michael Bowlers story about an attorney who leaves the rat race and realizes his dream of becoming a public defender.

Sept 7, 2016 Joan Newcomb “ Bad Things Do Happen to Good People”. “A Journey of Courage”. Joan Newcomb reads two stories about Lida Mae. She lives in a tough neighborhood and when her mother is mugged, Lida Mae’s friend Rufus fights with the thugs, is injured and loses his eye-sight.

Sept 14, 2016 Gene Zumwalt “Beyond the Roses” In 1970, at the height of the Vietnam War, Fresno State was involved in much controversy about that conflict and other social issues. Gene shares his memory of the University administration closure of the English Department.

Sept 21, 2016 Evelyne Holingue “I Am An American”. Evelyne describes how she came to the United States from France and the cultural differences she encountered while learning to be an American.

Oct 5, 2016 Lee K. Self “Mornings on the Mekong” and Natalie Chavez-Ruiz “Home After Iraq”. Lee K. Self recounts life on a small naval vessel on the Mekong River during the Vietnam War, and Natalie Chavez-Ruiz describes dealing with her husband’s post -traumatic stress syndrome on his return from Iraq.

Oct 12, 2016 David Mas Masumoto. “The Perfect Peach”. A look at the Masumoto Family Farm.

Oct 19 2016 Franz Weinschenk “The Dean’s Dinghy” Franz Weinschenk describes a tough day in the Dean’s office. A big storm causes a leak in a teacher’s office and then the power goes out, stranding students in an elevator.

Oct 26, 2016 James Varner “Uncle Dudly” James Varner, the nephew of Bakersfield’s Claude Varner, the ex-Featherweight Boxing Champion of the world recalls his uncles career and induction into the Bob Elias Hall of Fame.

Nov 2, 2016 Hope Nisly “Cousins” Hope Nisly recalls her childhood, growing up with six cousins in a small Iowa town. She remembers the assassination of President Kennedy and the night on the couch following the shooting of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Nov 9, 2016 Oscar G. Williams “Harassment”. Office manager Paul has a scheme to defraud the company by having his secretary file a harassment claim. Together, they plan to take the money and run away to Europe. His wife has other ideas.

Nov 16, 2016 Margaret Garret Irwin “Margaret’s War – Lots of Moving and Air Raids”. Recollections of a young girl growing up in London during WW II. Margaret recalls air raids, the incendiary bomb and the V2 rockets.

Nov 23, 2016 Jerry Fisher “Auf Wiedersehen, My Love” The story of a fictional WW II pilot who bails out over Germany. He befriends a German woman and then is interned in a POW camp.

Nov 30 2016 Flora Beach Burlingame “A Teacher of the Freedmen” A biography of the author’s grandfather, John Stevenson, who volunteered to educate freed slaves after the Civil War.

Dec 14th,2016 Dennis Shay “The Frozen Russian” and Don Moody and Linda Moody “Cougar”. A Russian cosmonaut has been drifting in space for centuries and is discovered by astronauts of future. “Cougar” is the story of a young cowboy’s encounter with a hungry mountain lion.

Dec 21st, 2016 Larry Hill “Cocido” An injured veteran returns to the Valley from Iraq to find the family restaurant closed down, his mother suffering dementia and his sister addicted to drugs.

Dec 28th, 2016 Deb Borofka “Houses” The author recalls a childhood with an uncaring father, an ever-widening parental rift and frequent family moves to different houses.